10 Healthy Herbs to Add to Your Child’s Diet

Looking for a simple way to make your child’s meals even healthier? Simply adding herbs to some of your favorite meals can improve the nutrition your child gets in every bite. Not only do herbs add great new flavors to best-loved dishes, they bring with them some amazing health benefits. Check these popular herbs and the added health you could be getting in your diet:

Rosemary

Love potatoes, chicken, and lamb? You can have healthier and better-tasting dinners by adding just a bit of rosemary. Rosemary is rich in rosmarinic and carnosic acids that have been linked to heart health, good digestion, and better memory – and to a reduced risk of cancer. It’s also a good source for vitamin C and magnesium.

Rosemary tastes great when sprinkled on roasted potatoes, rubbed into steak before grilling, on chicken, pork, or lamb – and even when added to veggie omelettes.

Parsley

Forget the garnish – use parsley in your entrée instead. Parsley is a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folates and minerals like copper, iron, magnesium, and calcium. It’s a rich source of apigenin, which reduces the risk of some forms of cancer. It’s also heart-healthy and moderates blood pressure.

Parsley is excellent when made into a sauce for pasta dishes, stirred into meatloaf, or mixed into mashed potatoes.

Chives

Chives aren’t just a pretty topping on baked potatoes. They’re a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as B-complex vitamins. Chives also contain minerals like copper, iron, manganese, and magnesium, and antioxidants like allicin. It supports respiratory health and reduces cancer risk.

Chives are excellent when rubbed onto salmon before broiling, added to soups, omelettes, or on top of your favorite salads.

Bay Leaf

Want to make a great soup even better? Stick in a couple of bay leaves. Bay contains cineole, a compound that’s great for cold and flu sufferers. It soothes the airways, relieves nasal congestion, and reduces sinus pain and discomfort.

Apart from soups, bay is also excellent when added to a pot roast and thick, hearty stews. Just make sure to fish out the leaves before serving.

Sage

There’s a good reason why sage is another word for smart! Research has shown that active ingredients in sage help prevent the destruction of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which improves overall brain function. It’s also rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as minerals such as copper, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.

Sage is great for stuffing, of course, but also goes well in hearty, whole wheat pastas, and in rubs for red meat.

Cilantro

Where would Mexican food be without this herb? Cilantro is rich in vitamin K, needed for bone health and for proper blood clotting – and is also a great way to help the body detoxify from heavy metal build-up. In addition, it’s a rich source of both fiber and iron.

Cilantro goes well with black beans, on tilapia with a little lime juice, or in homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes, chilies, onions, and garlic.

Fennel

Want a fast cure for an upset tummy? Consider fennel. This root has a strong, licorice-like flavor and has long been used to treat nausea, bloating and abdominal pain, gas, and other digestive issues. It’s also a rich source of potassium and magnesium.

Serve fennel root in couscous dishes, with brown rice, or stir-fried, with a variety of veggies. It is also great as a tea.

Peppermint

Peppermint is nutrient-rich, providing vitamins A, B, and C, as well as a wealth of minerals like manganese and copper. It contains menthol, a powerful compound that relieves indigestion, freshens the breath, quells nausea, and prevents cavities.

Want more mint in your diet? Add it to tabbouleh, blend it in with a smoothie, or add a few sprigs to your freshly brewed iced tea.

Oregano

Do you want more antioxidants in your diet? Oregano is a good source of more than half a dozen antioxidant compounds, including limonene, thymol, and carvacrol. It’s valued as an antiseptic and antispasmodic, and as such, can treat colds and soothe upset stomachs.

Mix oregano into homemade marinara sauce, add it to a black bean soup, or sprinkle it over your scrambled eggs.

Thyme

Bring a taste of the Mediterranean home. Thyme, like oregano, is incredibly rich in antioxidants like thymol and apigenin that protect against cellular damage.

Thyme tastes great when added to scrambled eggs, rubbed onto salmon, or chopped fresh into chicken salad.

What herbs do you like to use when cooking for your family?

Tags : health   nutrition   



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